PROFESSIONALISM AND CODES OF ETHICS

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Sandra Hill
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1 PROFESSIONALISM AND CODES OF ETHICS

2 OVERVIEW Is your discipline part of a profession? What is the role of a professional organization? What are ethical codes?

3 CONTRASTING DEFINITIONS Job: Something one is paid to perform Employment: Something which one is regularly paid to do. Occupation: How one earns a living Career: An occupation undertaken for a significant period in one s life

4 COMMON PROFESSIONS Law Medicine Architecture Teaching Accounting What do these have in common?

5 WHAT IS A PROFESSION? Requires special expertise Skills, judgment, discretion Formal education required Accreditation Autonomous (self-regulated) Licensing required. Dependent public Clients not Customers Not a simple descriptive term

6 QUALITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL Organization Level Headedness Thoroughness Dedication Attention to Detail Promptness Taking pride in their profession. Reliability

7 IN SHORT Conducting yourself in a manner to engender trust and confidence in your work. Having the requisite ability to be worthy of the confidence others place in you. Thanks to Andy Rutledge for these quotes.

8 CPA QUALIFICATIONS FOR COMPARISON Must have a BA At least 24 hours of accounting Work under supervision for 2 years Pass CPA Exam Continuing Education Adhere to code of ethics. What about Engineering?

9 IS ENGINEERING A PROFESSION? BS provides much of the background one needs to enter the work force. May depend on country. Often do not need to be licensed. Often do not need to pass an exam

10 HOW ARE ENGINEERS DIFFERENT? Engineers less likely to be self-employed. No requirement to join a professional society. No post-graduate training required.

11 ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALS Need peer review Need encouragement Need a common set of standards These standards define a profession. Issues need to be deliberated and argued A group issue

12 PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES Promotes the interest of a profession Set standards of admission Set and enforce standards of conduct for members. Maintain some element of power over members. Take an active role in lobbying for laws that regulate their field. Create a code of ethics for their members. Similar to labor unions

Maintain some element of power over members.

13 RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

14 SOCIETIES AND ETHICS Ability to harm the public. Need for credentials. Need for public trust. We need definitions!

15 SOME DEFINITIONS Morals Personal beliefs on right and wrong. Values Something worthwhile, and worth protecting. Ethics Interpersonal beliefs, or a branch of philosophy. Principle A rule that guides one to protect a value.

16 MORE TERMS Character How we adhere to principles. Reputation Our perceived character.

17 WHAT IS AN ETHICAL CODE? A Framework Defined Rights A Set of Standards

18 WHAT AN ETHICAL CODE IS NOT Cultural Norms A Science Complete Legally Enforceable

19 TYPES OF CODES Corporate Codes Personal Codes Professional Codes Each has a different purpose. Whose interests are served by each?

20 TYPES EXPLAINED Business Ethics Mission, quality, environment. Focus on social issues. Personal Ethics Govern individual conduct. Professional Ethics Imposed by professional societies.

21 ASPECTS OF MOST CODES Fiduciary Property Reliability Transparency Dignity Fairness Citizenship Responsiveness GBS Codex

22 WHICH CODES APPLY? You may be bound by multiple codes. Discipline (IEEE, ACM, etc.) National Society of Professional Engineers Organizational (employer) Trade union It is your responsibility to know which codes apply to you, and to learn what these say.

23 EVALUATING AN ETHICAL CODE Will the code enable people to make the right decisions when situations arise? Will it enhance reputations and build trust? Will it enable new people to know what is expected? Is it specific enough to deter behavior and provide support? Is it clear how to resolve conflicts? Is it general enough to cover new situations?

24 EVALUATING AN IMPLEMENTATION How are people trained? Is training continuous or one-time? What processes are in place to change the code? What reporting options are available? How expedient are matters addressed? How just is the resolution?

25 SUMMARY What is a profession? How is engineering different than others? What is a professional society? What is an ethical code? Which codes apply to you? How do you evaluate and use a code?

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